Qualcomm Executive Says AI Agents Will Soon Replace Mobile Apps for Consumers

Autonomous AI software systems capable of taking actions on a user's behalf are poised to shift consumer technology away from traditional mobile apps. Tech companies are increasingly finding viable consumer use cases for artificial intelligence agents that can book cabs or reserve restaurant tables without manual app navigation. Meta's Muse Agent reached the top of Apple's App Store within two weeks of its launch. Meanwhile, Google Gemini has hit one billion monthly active users alongside a sevenfold year-over-year increase in token usage. Durga Malladi, executive vice president and general manager of technology planning, edge solutions and data center at Qualcomm Technologies, noted that agentic AI is becoming a permanent fixture. Speaking at the Snapdragon Summit in Maui, Hawaii, Malladi explained that user interfaces are shifting toward direct agent interaction rather than opening multiple applications. While AI agents have previously been tested primarily in enterprise environments for customer service, writing code, and data analysis—facing hurdles like high costs and cybersecurity risks—the consumer landscape is evolving. Qualcomm launched two new chips, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6, signaling that agentic hardware is arriving on smartphones. However, consumer adoption brings privacy and security concerns regarding access to personal data like emails and bank accounts. Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon emphasized that trust and convenience remain prerequisites, requiring guaranteed security while users retain final control. Malladi added that while apps and agents will coexist initially, consumer usage will increasingly favor background AI that prioritizes everyday convenience over operational efficiency metrics used by businesses.